England Retain European Team Titles

England won a classic men's final with Switzerland and also took the women's trophy home again on a thrilling finals day at the 2026 ESF European Team Championships at Frans Otten Stadion in Amsterdam.

Switzerland came within one game of clinching the title in their first ever men's European Team final, but Curtis Malik shifted the momentum at 2/0 down in the final match against Nicolas Mueller to clinch a 46th English crown.

Earlier, England's women won the title for a 44th time by defeating France 3/0. The highlight was world no.12 Jasmine Hutton holding off a fierce fightback by the dazzling 18-year-old Lauren Baltayan.

The men's final went to the wire. It began with Swiss no.3 Yannick Wilhelmi completing an unbeaten week by defeating world no.44 Patrick Rooney 11-9, 5-11, 11-8, 11-7.

Former world no.3 Marwan ElShorbagy then took on fellow showman Dimitri Steinmann and it was a thrilling duel which the Englishman took 9-11, 11-8, 11-8, 11-6, settling it with a typically outrageous thrashed forehand nick.

That set up Sam Todd, making his England senior debut at this event, against 20-year-old David Bernet. Yorkshireman Todd was pegged back in the second game, but his class ultimately shone through in a 11-8 6-11 11-9 11-5 triumph.

Malik took on veteran Mueller in the anchor leg and when the 36-year-old former world No.13 went two games up, things looked bleak for England. But the third game saw the momentum turn decisively. As Mueller grew tired and tense, Malik increased the tempo, taking the third 11-7.

England coach Stuart Crawford had calculated that Malik needed just two further points to put England unassailably ahead. Those were secured, and when the world no.26 took the fourth game 11-8, all doubts were ended and the celebrations began.

Malik said: "Nicky came out firing and he wasn't missing anything. Before I knew it I was 2/0 down!

"It was then a case of getting my mentality right and finishing the match with no regrets. That paid off in the third game and I managed to get the fourth too. I'm absolutely over the moon to get the win for my team."

In the first match of the women's final earlier, 18-year-old Baltayan looked a little jaded after her epic upset over Belgium's Nele Gilis in Friday's semi-final.

Hutton soared two games ahead, but the French no.1, typically, wouldn't give in. The teenager saved match ball in taking the third, then saved further match balls in taking the fourth 15-13.

However, world no.13 Hutton, recent winner of the PSA Bronze Hamburg Open, surged into a 6-1 lead in the deciding fifth which she never relinquished, taking the victory 11-5, 11-2, 11-13, 13-15, 11-3.

England no.1 Gina Kennedy polished off victory for the defending champions with a more straightforward 11-7, 11-4, 11-5 win over Marie Stephan.

"Personally, I'm relieved, but as a team we're buzzing," said Hutton. "To do it with this team is very special.

"I felt like I was in control in the first two and even up to 10-8 [in the third] I played really well. But she's a gutsy player and she pulled out some ridiculous kills. Fair play to her, she's had an amazing week."

France won the men's bronze medals with a 4/0 victory over Germany, while Belgium took the women's bronze by beating Scotland 3/0.

Poland's men were relegated in their first ever Division 1 campaign alongside Belgium. Ukraine and Poland were relegated to women's Division 2 after they finished bottom of the 9/16 play-off group.

In the Division 2 championship, Ireland celebrated two gold medals and two promotions to Division 1 for 2027 as their men's and women's teams both won Saturday's finals.

Ireland's women - who were only promoted from Division 3 in 2024 and won Division 2 bronze medals last year in Wroclaw - went up against Hungary, who in reaching the final had themselves sealed two successive promotions, having been Division 3 champions last year in Malta.

Breanne Flynn kicked off by defeating Hungarian no.2 Gabriella Csókási 11-3, 11-4, 11-8. Irish no.1 Hannah Craig, the world no.60, finished the job with a 13-11, 11-7, 11-4 victory against Trinity College scholar Hannah Chukwu.

Craig, who heads to Cairo on Monday for the World Championships, said: "We're feeling elation. It's a historic win for both of our teams to get back to Division 1. It speaks volumes for the work being done behind the scenes."

Ireland's men beat Israel 4/0 in their gold medal match to join the women in Europe's top tier at next year's ETC.

No.3 Oisin Logan overcame Segev Rome 11-8, 6-11, 11-8, 11-5 and Sam Buckley, the world no.99, put the Irish firmly in command with a 11-8, 8-11, 11-9, 11-2 win against Daniel Poleshchuk. Michael Creaven polished off victory by securing a 11-8, 11-9, 11-5 triumph over Yali Shass.

Ireland coach Derek Ryan (the former world no.7 who played in 24 European Team Championships as a player) said: "We really wanted to get promoted and face the stronger teams and I think we'll hold our own next year."

Elsewhere in Division 2, Sweden were men's bronze medallists by virtue of a 4/0 win over Austria. Norway and Slovakia were relegated to men's Division 3 for 2027 after respective 3/1 defeats to Denmark and Portugal meant they finished bottom of the position 5/8 play-off group.

Portugal were bronze medallists in women's Division 2 after beating Sweden 3/0 in the 3/4 play-off. Romania and Slovenia will play Division 3 squash next year after they finished bottom of the 5/8 position play-off group.